Features

As a small boy I once joined a group of classmates to peer at a grainy black and white photo brought in by one of the boys whose uncle had fought in the Malayan ‘Emergency’. The subject of our ghoulish fascination was an image of smiling Scottish soldiers displaying the severed heads of

The days of offering a quick cosmetic treatment from the spare room, beauty salon or a client’s home could soon be numbered, writes Arlene Dunbar. From September 2027, Scotland’s aesthetics industry will face a significant regulatory shake-up, bringing a range of non-surgical cosmetic pr

As an expert witness, I am often asked what instructing solicitors value most. My answer is clarity, confidence and a well‑reasoned opinion. Those expectations are entirely reasonable. But recent Scottish judgments suggest that an expert’s credibility depends on demonstrating independence th

What’s all this then? A waiter, traditionally clad in black waistcoat and bow tie, elegantly slices away at a side of the finest Scottish smoked salmon on his trolley crafted for the task. The mellifluous notes of grand piano tinkle across the grand dining room. On the walls crimson clad heroe

Can the biography of a woman who did not exist, yet is so well known in Western culture, ever be written?  Edith Hall’s latest work on the classical world has taken her an academic career of immersion in the Greek classics, of getting to ‘know’ Medea every time they have met.

In the scheme of things in Britain, a political career has never been regarded as wholly inconsistent with later judicial appointment. Lord Salisbury wrote, and warned, in 1897 that "the judicial salad requires both legal oil and political vinegar: but disastrous effects will follow if due proportio

The United States has confirmed that it has deployed a weapon in space. While details are scarce, what are the legalities around such a move? Dr Alexander Simmonds, an expert in space law at the University of Dundee, takes a look. The positioning of a space weapon in Earth orbit by the United States

Revised guidance settles a key question over how the aggregates tax exemption applies to construction and infrastructure projects, writes Bryn Reynolds. Construction companies that excavate rock, gravel or sand as a necessary part of laying foundations for houses or other building projects in Scotla

There’s no need for a spoiler alert with any history book exploring the life and reign of Henry VIII, arguably Britain’s most famous, possibly notorious, sovereign. Born in 1491, second surviving son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York - the former an accomplished military leader, the lat

Once again Perth-based independent publisher Tippermuir Books has punched above its weight – this time to produce a volume celebrating the centenary of Hugh MacDiarmid's controversial epic poem A Drunk Man Looks At the Thistle.

To Stirling for a books and blethers lunch with our ace reviewer and legal historian Robert Shiels to celebrate over 200 reviews in Scottish Legal News. Our choice is Brea, a self-styled ‘Scottish restaurant’, the name is derived from the little-known Scots word for a slope and it is ind

Each year, universities welcome thousands of new students. While attention is often focused on academic transition and student welfare, less consideration is given to the legal consequences that can arise when criminal allegations are made against students, writes Neil Hay. Increasingly, allegations

The decline of legal representation in the sheriff court risks increasing costs and delays, while placing represented litigants at an unfair disadvantage, writes Andrew Stevenson. Recent research by HM Courts & Tribunal Service showed that over a third of civil actions and nearly half of private

The latest start-up data paints a highly encouraging picture for Scotland's innovation economy, writes Pamela Bryer. While overall UK company incorporations have moderated, Scotland has emerged as the strongest-performing region for new business formation, with start-up activity increasing by around

A recent Scottish family law case has challenged the long-standing view that legal fees cannot form part of an interim aliment claim, potentially opening a route to funding legal representation in exceptional divorce cases, write Lucia Clark and Amy Cook. Sometimes significant turning points in the